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Ukraine Claims Audio Proves Russia Behind Destruction Of Dam

(Article text Copyright © 2023 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036. – rferl.org – June 9, 2023 – article text also appeared at rferl.org/a/ukraine-targeted-russian-air-strikes/32451674.html)

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) says it intercepted telephone communications between Russian military personnel that "confirm" Russia's involvement in the destruction of the Kakhovka dam as Norway's seismological institute said it had detected a possible "explosion" around the time of the dam's breaching.

The SBU released an audio recording on June 9 on its Telegram channel that it claims occurred between Russian military personnel acknowledging that the breach of the dam was the result of the actions of a "saboteur group" aiming to disrupt the Ukrainian military.

The recording has yet to be independently verified.

"It was not them [Ukrainians] who struck it. It was our saboteur group there. They wanted to scare [Ukrainians] with the dam. It didn't go as they planned; it turned out to be larger than they planned," a Russian military officer allegedly says on the call.

Another person on the call seems surprised at the claim about Russian forces, who have occupied the dam since the early days of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The SBU did not give details on those who were on the call, nor did it give any more information on what was said or when. It has, however, opened a criminal investigation into war crimes and "ecocide" over the dam.

"By blowing up the [Kakhovska] dam, the Russian Federation definitively proved that it is a threat to the entire civilized world," SBU chief Vasyl Malyuk was quoted as saying in the social media post.

Russia has steadfastly rejected accusations it was behind the incident, and has repeatedly claimed Ukraine was at fault for destroying the dam and unleashing mass floods on the area that have forced thousands of people from their homes while creating a major environmental catastrophe.

Moscow has yet to comment on the Ukrainian claim over the audio interception.

Norway's seismological institute, however, said it had analyzed seismic signals from regional stations in connection with the collapse of the dam and found that "clear signals" of seismic activity that coincide with media reports of the dam's destruction.

"The signals indicate that there was an explosion. The magnitude estimate is between 1 and 2," it said.

WATCH: The video has been seen all around the world: a Ukrainian military drone drops bottled water to a family stranded by floodwaters after the breach of a dam in Russian-occupied territory. Now, the mom and her son have spoken to Current Time about how they were rescued -- and how Russian forces left them to their fate.

The news surrounding the dam's breach comes amid reports of heavy fighting in eastern and southern Ukraine as analysts watch to see if Kyiv finally announces it has begun its long-awaited counteroffensive.

Russian officials reported pitched battles in the Zaporizhzhya region, while Ukraine says it is making minor gains around the city of Bakhmut, which Russia claimed last month to have captured after a protracted battle that reportedly killed thousands.

In the Bakhmut region, Colonel Serhiy Cherevatiy, spokesman for the Ukraine's eastern forces, said troops were moving forward, though he did not comment on whether the counteroffensive was officially under way.

"We are taking advantage of the fact that the enemy is conducting rotational operations, and those new units that are entering, they do not fully know the area... Over the previous day, our units advanced up to 1,200 meters in some areas," Cherevatiy said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hailed the heroism of his armed forces.

"For our soldiers, for all those who are in particularly tough battles these days. We see your heroism, and we are grateful to you for every minute of your life," Zelenskiy said in his evening address.

Ukrainian officials have said their forces are ready for a counteroffensive to reclaim territory in the east and south, but that there would be no formal announcement when it begins.

Zelenskiy made no direct reference to the counteroffensive, saying, "We focus our attention on all directions where our actions are needed and where the enemy may suffer certain defeats."

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the counteroffensive had started but that the Ukrainian troops "did not achieve their goal in any area," adding that the still retain "offensive potential."

Ukraine's General Staff said Russian troops were concentrating their main efforts on attempts to fully occupy the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. In its evening briefing on June 9, it said 27 combat clashes took place in the regions during the day.

Overnight, at least one person was killed and three were wounded as Russia unleashed a fresh wave of drone and cruise missile strikes on military and civilian infrastructure targets across Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Air Force said on June 9 that Russia launched 16 Iranian-made attack drones and six cruise missiles.

The drones were launched from southern Russia while the missiles were fired from Tu-95 strategic bombers from the Caspian Sea region, the air force said, adding that Ukrainian air defenses shot down 10 drones and four cruise missiles, the air force said.

The Zhytomyr region, west of the capital, Kyiv, was the most affected, emergency services and regional officials reported.

One person was killed and three were wounded by falling debris in the city of Zviagel, Zhytomyr Governor Vitaliy Bunechko said.

Across the region, four houses were destroyed by falling rocket fragments, and another 30 were damaged, the State Emergency Service said on Telegram.

WATCH: Ukrainian troops attacked enemy positions with a captured Russian tank and retook land north of Bakhmut. Current Time correspondent Andriy Kuzakov spoke with the Ukrainian soldiers about the assault and what the recaptured land means for future maneuvers.

Meanwhile, the governor of Russia's Voronezh region, Aleksandr Gusev, said three people suffered shrapnel wounds when a drone crashed into a residential building in the city of Voronezh.

He added that an emergency regime has been introduced in the city, while the Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal case against "persons acting in the interests of the military-political leadership of Ukraine."

Amid an increase in air attacks on Ukraine, the U.S. Department of Defense announced a new $2.1 billion security-assistance package for Ukraine on June 9 that includes "critical air defense and ammunition capabilities."

The Defense Department said capabilities in the announcement include additional munitions for Patriot air-defense systems, HAWK air-defense systems and missiles, 105mm and 203mm artillery rounds, Puma unmanned aerial systems, laser-guided rocket-system munitions, and support for training and maintenanceactivities.

"The United States will continue to work with its Allies and partners to provide Ukraine with capabilities to meet its immediate battlefield needs and longer-term security assistance requirements," it said.

Hungary said on June 9 it had received 11 Ukrainian prisoners of war from Russia, an announcement that appeared to catch Ukrainian officials off-guard.

The POWs were from the western part of Ukraine near the border with Hungary, Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen said in a post on his website.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said it welcomed the news but was not aware the release was happening and has asked Budapest to grant it immediate access to the group while stressing "the need to coordinate cooperation on such sensitive issues."

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Key Words: Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian Military, Russian Military, Russo-Ukrainian War